Looking at an 8L S3...

[Blitzen]

Well, as the title says, I am now considering an 8L S3...I was looking at either a MK4 R32 or Bora 4Motion for when I got home, but after seeing the pricing on the S3 (Starting at around $18g with around 90k km), I was surprised to say the least!! I love the thought of having the turbo's tuneability(big inlet 1.8T), the AWD, and 6 Speed gear box too!!
So my main questions are...
What year did the power jump from 210hp to 225hp?
What do I look out for parts wise on a car this age?
Spare parts avaliability and cost?
How strong is the gearbox?
What is prone to failure?

Cheers in advance for your advice.

Ryan

[gareth_oau]

the MY02 model release in 2001 jumped to 165KW.

I've got an MY01 with 154KW, but if you chip either car, they will end up with the same net result of around 195KW.

Mines been tricked up to circa 210 KW witha full APR exhaust, ECU, BMC airbox and a few pipes etc. It drives beuatifully and hasnt had antything go mechanically wrong in the 15 months Ive owned it.

• Thermostat's a common problem, but thats a $100 job including labour.
• The Bose Concert radio plays up, which would require replacement.
• The

cam belts etc is a major service exercise and should be done circa 90,000kms. make sure its already done, or allow $1500 in your budgeting.
The red LED display in the dashboard sometimes loses a line or two, but still works effectively

Before you buy, make sure you get an aftermarket Audi specialist to give it a full inspection, ask for feedback on remaining life of clutch, brake discs, pads etc. an inspection will cost around $150 but well worth it.


Also, spread your wings a bit and look in other states.

jump onto www.ozaudi.com Meds has got a beauty for sale, which he is just in the process of returning to standard. maybe make him an offer before he sells to many of the go-better bits

[Blitzen]

Thanks heaps for that Gareth!!

I'm not going to consider buying before I get home in February, so I have a bit of time to allow prices to drop and deals to miss out on!!
Also, I am looking interstate, but will mainly be looking on the East Coast, as I am still continuing my posting in Townsville when I get home, but I have family and Mechanic mates(both civil and Military) up and down the East Coast.
I have already been looking at Chips for the thing too!!
APR...http://www.goapr.com.au/products/ecu_upgrade_s3.html
CC...http://custom-code.co.uk/index.php?o...602&Itemid=158
PowerChip...http://www.powerchipgroup.com/intera...sp?pid=Aud0039
REVO...http://www.revotechnik.com/products/....aspx?pvID=426
GIAC...http://www.giacusa.com/programs.php?mpid=42
Oettinger...http://www.oettinger.com.au/oau_audis3_et.html

Looks like alot of fun can be had!!

[fuzion]

ryan, my friend is selling his in the next efw months, that nagaro blue or whatevr it is, mtm chip, 90k .. for about $18-20 i think as well ..

veh reg svd by seb

[Golf Houso]

I've seen them go at repo auctions for around 15k-20 depending on condition, if you want to save a few bucks Ryan.

[gareth_oau]

there is a constant huge debate on which chip to use over at Ozaudi. i've got APR and I love it, but it came on the car when I bought it, so cant really offer a comparison to other brands.

each to their own i think and they have different profiles which may or may not suit you.

you can get a free 6 hour flash with some of them so will help you to draw your own conclusion.

I can't confirm or deny this, but I have heard very little respect for one with 'power' and 'chip' in their name...

[fuzion]

ive driven the apr, mtm and giac

mtm is VERY aggressive and to be honest from using friends car it gave me the ****s somethign chronic. you cant ease yourself onto boost it would jsut go nuts

giac felt very strong throughout and drove well, apr wasnt far off as well but didnt feel as aggressive for power

[Treza360]

Wow they've dropped in price dramatically! These were what I was looking for originally and I ended up with the R32.

When I got the R they were both around the same price with the R32 being about 5k more on average. Considering that low to mid km R32s are still fetching around what I paid for a slightly higher km model two years ago it's good to see that they're holding their value.

Resale value should never be a factor in the purchase of a car like this but you've definitely made me happy today.

As Gareth has shown they're so much more tunable than the R but don't have the same fabulous noise. But more importantly whichever you pick you get the Haldex AWD system. Traction for the win!

Cheers,
Trent